Letter of Compliance | SMSF ATO

The SMSF Notice of Compliance, also sometimes called a letter of compliance, is a document issued by the ATO to an SMSF. According to the ATO “an SMSF that holds a notice of compliance that is till in effect is eligible for concessional tax treatment for income tax purposes in relation to a year of income.”

The ATO only issues a letter of compliance to an SMSF after the first SMSF Annual Return is lodged. The notice is issued once, not in each year of operation of the SMSF.

Therefore, it is important for you to not lose this document. Your SMSF’s complying status can also be confirmed from Super Fund Lookup (superfundlookup.gov.au). Until the SMSF receives the letter of compliance, it will be shown on the Super Fund Lookup as “Registered – status not determined’. Under this status the fund is still eligible to receive contributions and rollovers. Once the SMSF’s first Annual Return is lodged, the status will be adjusted to “Complying”.
Letter of Compliance may also be requested by other super funds when processing rollovers. Newly set up SMSFs will not yet have this document to provide. In these situations, you can direct the other fund to find your SMSF on the Super Fund Lookup

Please note SuperHelp do not provide compliance letters – these are issued by the ATO.

If you have an existing SMSF and would like to transfer your administration to SuperHelp, please contact us on 1300 736 453

Article Disclaimer: This information should not be considered personal financial advice as it is intended to provide general advice only. The article has been prepared by Superhelp Australia Pty Ltd without taking into account your personal objectives, financial situations or needs.

The information contained in the article may not be appropriate to your individual needs therefore you should seek personal financial advice before making any financial or investment decisions.